Elastically deformable and resorbable medical mesh implant

Abstract

The invention relates to a polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, which mesh implant comprises a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures, wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises an elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the elastic fibers are elongated and also exert a restoring force on the first pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds, and at least one of the first set of fibers or the at least one elastic fiber comprises a resorbable polymer. 
 
     
     
       2. A polymeric mesh implant according to  claim 1 , wherein the first set of fibers is knitted. 
     
     
       3. A polymeric mesh implant according to  claim 1 , wherein when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 95% of its initial length in the first direction within 10 seconds. 
     
     
       4. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds; 
 wherein a first subset of the apertures in the first pattern comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in the first direction of the mesh implant and a second subset of the apertures in the first pattern comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a second direction of the mesh implant, the second direction being different from the first direction. 
 
     
     
       5. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds; 
 wherein at least some of the apertures in the first pattern comprise both (1) the at least one elastic fiber arranged in the first direction of the mesh implant and (2) the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a second direction of the mesh implant, the second direction being different from the first direction. 
 
     
     
       6. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds; 
 wherein the fibers of the first set have a first degradation time and the at least one elastic fiber has a second degradation time, the second degradation time being different from the first degradation time. 
 
     
     
       7. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 
       wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds;
 wherein the fibers of the first set have a first degradation time and the at least one elastic fiber has a second degradation time, the second degradation time being shorter than the first degradation time. 
 
     
     
       8. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds; 
 wherein the mesh implant further comprises a second set of fibers having a high modulus of elasticity and being arranged in a second pattern such that the fibers of the second set traverse apertures in the first pattern, and wherein the second pattern is arranged such that the fibers of the second set lock movement of the first pattern in the first direction of the mesh implant. 
 
     
     
       9. A polymeric mesh implant for use in reconstruction of tissue defects, comprising:
 a first set of fibers arranged in a first pattern comprising apertures; and 
 at least one elastic fiber; 
 wherein each aperture, or a subset thereof, comprises the at least one elastic fiber arranged in a first direction of the mesh implant such that when the mesh implant is stretched in this first direction, the at least one elastic fiber is elongated and also exerts a restoring force on the first pattern such that when the mesh implant is stretched and released and allowed to relax, the mesh implant resumes at least 90% of its initial length in the first direction within 5 seconds; 
 wherein the mesh implant further comprises a second set of fibers having a high modulus of elasticity and being arranged in a second pattern such that the fibers of the second set traverse apertures in the first pattern, and wherein the second pattern is arranged such that the fibers of the second set lock movement of the first pattern in a second direction of the mesh implant, the second direction being different from the first direction.